IRISH COUNTRYWOMENS ASSOCIATION
The next meeting of Fethard ICA will take place on Tuesday 13th January in the ICA Hall at 8pm.  Guest speaker on the night is Dr. Maureen Hillery who will give on ‘Eye Ailments’.  Catering by ‘Yellow Group’ and the social half hour by ‘Green Group’. Theme for competition is, ‘Favourite Christmas Card’.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
The Fethard St. Vincent De Paul Conference would like to thank most sincerely, all who contributed to their recent Church Gate Collection.  The amount collected was €1,937 and along with donations made before and after this collection, made another record collection for the society.

Anybody who needs our help, in strictest confidence, can contact any member of the conference.  We would like to wish all our donors, sponsors and friends a very Happy New Year.

FETHARD GAA CLUB AGM
The annual general meeting of Fethard GAA Club will take place on Saturday 10th January at 8.15pm in the Abymill Theatre.

COURSING SUCCESS
Local father and son coursing enthusiasts, Billy and John Morrissey, Tullamaine, had a second Trial Stake winner at the recent Wexford Coursing Club meeting held at New Ross. ‘Call Me Major’ won the dog trial stake and thus joins his litter brother ‘Fiodh Árd’ in the final sixty-four qualifiers for the 2003/04 Coursing Derby at Powerstown Park in February.  A third member of this Hilltown ex Orla Princess litter, bred by John Morrissey, ‘Flanbar’, has also qualified for the Oaks at Powerstown park having won her trial stake at Fermoy.

FETHARD & KILLUSTY COMMUNITY LOTTO
The Fethard & Killusty Community Lotto will resume this weekend, draw on Tuesday night 13th January at 7pm in the Tirry Community Centre. Jackpot is €4,050 and the sellers prize €255.

TIPPERARY BOOK
“The Tipperary Gentry”, a history of the landed gentry and great Tipperary  families, by Fethard historian Willie Hayes and Art Kavanagh, is currently on sale locally.  This most interesting book is a must for all interested in Tipperary history.

FEHARD JOCKEY IN TOP FORM
Congratulations to Mark Grant, Grangebarry, on his five winners at the Limerick Christmas race meeting.  Twenty-two years old Mark now seems to be on the crest of a wave in his racing career.  We feel sure his Limerick successes are the forerunners of many more to come in 2004.

LANDMARK GONE
Previous generations of Fethard boys, some now scattered far and wide, will no doubt recall nostalgic memories when they learn that the row of Chestnut trees inside Grove Estate wall at Knockbordan have been cut down.  When boys in the innocent days of yore found amusement in more simple pastimes, the trip each autumn down to Connor’s at Grove Hill was a must for conkers.  Different collectors had favourite trees and swore that the conkers from their particular tree was better than the rest.

The conkers were then threaded on boot laces or string and the challenge, ‘First Three’, could be heard on street and in schoolyard.  Each player was entitled to three shots at his opponents conker until one or the other was broken.  Pride was taken in the record of each surviving conker.  The best record we can recall was held by the late Jimmy O’Shea, St. Patrick’s Place, who broke eighteen conkers before his own was demolished.

The game of conkers, the boys who played them, and now the trees which produced them are gone.  Maybe the boys of today with their computers, DVDs, mobile phones etc are better off?  Somehow or other, I doubt it!

HUNTING
The rain has arrived and so has the scent, as hunting over the Christmas has greatly improved compared to earlier in the season.  Ballylusky White Heather Harriers had an excellent afternoons hunting from their meet at Ballylusky on Sunday last.  Finding immediately from the move-off in Whelans, hounds hunted strongly in the plantation for twenty minutes before pushing their fox out on the far side.

He ran a left-handed circle to the Crohane road to Careys before returning to the covet. Not dwelling as long this time, he crossed the Drangan-Ballylusky road to the plantation on the far side.  Hounds were now really flying and had him away at the top of Ballylusky Cross.  A large left-handed circle followed over the high fields at Lismoylan before our pilot re-crossed the Ballylusky Road near Drangan village.  Hounds then hunted to the Crohane Road where they lost him.

Between the time spent in the two plantations, plus the two large circles hunted, hounds were hunting strongly for an hour and twenty minutes.  A feature of this run was, at no stage were the hounds any great distance from the large number of followers out.  A pleasing feature was the number of juvenile followers out.  It was indeed remarkable how young followers, such as the young Holohan brothers from Killusty, kept in touch with the hounds all day.

The White Heathers meet in Ballingarry on next Sunday 11th January at 12 noon.

SYMPATHY
Sincere sympathy is extended to Mr Gerard Manton, Main Street, on the death of his brother, Mr John Manton, Ard Mhuire, Cashel, on 2nd January.  Interment took place at St. Cormac’s Cemetery, Cashel.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL
The next meeting of Fethard and Killusty Community Council will take place on Tuesday 20th January 2004, in the Tirry Centre at 8.30pm.

GREETINGS TO FETHARD FROM ABROAD
Paddy & Alicia Burke, Milwaukee (email: tipperary@earthlink.net)

Happy New Year to all of our friends in Fethard. 2003 was a great year; we will never forget it. Thanks for everything. Peace and Love!

Sarah Hammoum (Morrissey) (email: rh0064255@blueyonder.co.uk)

I would just like to wish my family the Morrissey's and Murphy's and all other relations a very Happy Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year. New year greetings to all Fethard and Killusty people at home and abroad. Keep up the good work and thanks for all you do on the website. It has become invaluable to me.

Eugene Duggan, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Biddy arrived safely in Christchurch, and is enjoying the warm, sunny weather. Wishing all our friends and family in the Killusty and Fethard area a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Cailin mac Cormaic (email: cailin93@hotmail.com)

Hello to Zoë and Sandra, Ruby and all my friends in Fethard. hope you all got nice presents from Santa

Mary McNulty (Maher), Bedford (email: hugh.mcnulty@btopenworld.com)

Best wishes to all our friends and family for the festive season and 2004.

Joseph M. Moroney, Kansas (email: jmoroney@kc.rr.com)

Wishing all our wonderful relatives (The Byrnes, Cuddihys and the Meaneys) a very Happy Christmas and an even better New Year!

Maggie McCarthy (email: maggi14au@iinet.net.au)

I would like to post my Fethard family names (though spelling may have changed over the years 1778 to 1890).

1. John MacCathy married Mary Teahan, children John, Kate and Michael.

2. John MacCarthy married Elizabeth Fitzgerald, children: Charles W, John, Michael and Patrick

3. Charles William MacCarthy married Anastasia Cantwell, children: John L, Mary E, Alice M,

4. Charles William MacCarthy married Marion Cuddihy, children: Charles, Maude

Charles and Marion migrated to Australia in 1884 and many of the other families joined them here. Some of the boys joined family in America but I have not been able to track them yet. Hoping some one has a connection, however small.

Peggy (email: wussweiler@cox.net)

I am looking for any information on a John Hanley born about 1815, Margaret Fox born about 1819 - married in Fethard in 1844. Children Michael P. Hanley born 1846 and Mary A. Hanley born about 1848 - after that they emigrated to USA - Massachusetts around 1850. Any information would be appreciated. This was all in the family bible we have started by John/Margaret’s daughter around 1870.

Katie Knott Ryan (email: knott@bigpond.net.au)

Does anyone in Fethard remember the Murphy Family who lived on Rocklow Road. Margaret Murphy's husband David died quite young. There was three children DD, Chris and Annette. My Mother was a good friend of Margaret. They were a lovely family, I believe they moved to Wales. I would love to hear any information about Margaret and the children.

Paul Looby (email: loobs@londonirish.org)

I'm trying to get back in touch with Mary Hennessey (Smith) but have mislaid her nos. If anybody can help, please leave a message on here or email me.

Troy Forster (email: troy_forster@hotmail.com)

If anybody knows how to get in contact with Mary and Fiona Cummins could they please pass my email address along to them?

Peter Driscoll (email: peterbdriscollsr@yahoo.com)

My great-great-great grandfather John Driscoll and his wife Anty Egan Driscoll are buried at the Catholic Church cemetery in Modeshill. Both died in November of 1803. Their son, my great-great-grandfather Michael Driscoll married a Mary Mahone. He, along with his children, moved to the USA in the early 1840s. We are not sure what became of his wife. We think they were from Mullinahone. Any info on this family or where they lived would be appreciated. Thank You.